Peter Murphy admitted he was pleased to get his first ‘real’ Stanley league goal as it will stop him getting stick off his team-mates.

Murphy fired home a valuable equaliser from the edge of the area – following up his first goal of the season in the 4-1 defeat at Port Vale.

This one meant more, securing a point – but also meant that his Reds’ team had to acknowledge that he had truly scored a league goal.

"When I scored all Luke Joyce could say was ‘that’s a real goal’ as they all say I didn’t get a touch on the Port Vale one," said the 21-year-old.

"I did but this one was a lot more special.

"It was brilliant to score. I ran over to (assistant) Jimmy Bell as he had been on my case all morning and John Coleman had been going on at me all week saying I should have scored against Crewe last week, so I was relieved.

"To be honest, I don’t know why I was so far up the field!

"The ball has got to Podge (Padraig Amond) and I don’t know whether he meant to hit it down for me but it was a good opporunity for me to have a go.

"I saw it bounce and thought I might as well try and it was the best feeling I have ever had when it went in.

"I didn’t think I was ever going to score for Accrington as I had the chances last season and you begin to think you are never going to take them.

"I am pleased but disappointed we didn’t win."

How Accrington didn’t get their first away win since February was down to Oxford’s keeper Ryan Clarke being in superb form.

It was another game where Accrington created numerous chances – but unlike in previous games they did give the opposition keeper a stiff test.

Early on, Dean Winnard hit the inside of the post and Amond’s follow-up was disallowed for off-side.

Then Clarke one-handedly tipped over a Wes Fletcher effort after the Burnley loan striker had burst through.

From the resulting corner the Oxford keeper somehow scrambled out Kevin Long’s far post header and he also kept out another Long header with a solid stop.

That doesn’t mean Reds stopper Sean Murdoch was redundant as he dived low to keep out Andy Whing’s effort on the stroke of half-time which would have made it 2-0 and maybe game over.

As it was, Oxford led by a lucky goal when Paul McLaren’s free kick was sailing nicely into Murdoch’s hands until it took a wicked deflection and wrong-footed him.

Stanley must have been frustrated after doing so well and it showed with Sean Hessey and Murdoch having an argument while awaiting a Oxford corner with captain Andy Procter called over to referee Kevin Wright to quieten his team mates down.

Murphy admitted: "We just want best out of each other, you have seen with Sean Hessey and Sean Murdoch having a go and that’s just because we want to win so much."

Murphy’s equaliser was well deserved when a Danny Coid ball forward found Amond, he knocked it down – although whether he meant to set up Murphy remains unsure – but the midfielder ran onto the ball and it lifted nicely for him to hit it low into the net.

Oxford put late pressure around the Stanley area in the dying minutes with James Constable’s injury-time header clipping the crossbar

But good tackles by Coid, Hessey, Long, Kevin McIntrye and Murphy also kept out promotion-chasing Oxford, as the home crowd got increasingly frustrated following just one home win for Chris Wilder’s side.

The only blip for manager Coleman was his side picking up five yellow cards but thankfully just missing out on a sixth and therefore a fine.

"I am happy with the way we played," said the Reds chief.

"We have just got to keep battling away and eventually we will get that win.

"Oxford are a good side and will win a lot of games here so to come here and come away with a point is an achievement.

"Our lads have worked hard, we had four players booked in the first half and once the fifth got booked we had 25 minutes to hold on to avoid a £2,000 fine and that might seem chicken feed to some people but, with a wage bill of around £10,000 a week, a £2,000 fine is crippling so that's the biggest achievement for me.

"Sometimes they are out of your control, sometimes you can’t help but get a yellow card, but the lads showed discipline towards the end when it got tight to remain on their feet and not get booked.

"I am proud of them and the attitude, passing and commitment they showed and some really good football we played.

"And we are making progress in as much as we had a few chances but the difference is that we are hitting the target – which we weren't in the past – and making the keeper work and the keeper has had to make three really good saves.

"We are going in the right direction and the next step is to find the back of the net, and turn draws into wins."

And he had a special word for goal hero Murphy.

"We work with Peter every day and you ask every player in that changing room how hard Peter works every day – the effort he puts in, the value he adds to training and he was magnificent at Oxford without his goal.

"The important headers he won late on, the tackling, once or twice he was a bit loose in possession but overall his distribution was good and so I don’t care whether people will like him or not, I will judge on what I see.

"He will be happy as he will get a bonus as we got something out of the game."

Murphy admitted he has got the Football League show on Series Link ‘just in case.’